


The Place We Belong

by ouroborosnakes



Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Found Family, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23319622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ouroborosnakes/pseuds/ouroborosnakes
Summary: David, Hal and Sunny Emmerich move into their new home.
Relationships: Otacon/Solid Snake
Comments: 15
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jupiter family modern day ish AU but with some altercations. more will be revealed as time goes on but i will say this is an AU where emma lives _but_ she's not a big focus. i'm debating some other characters to have mentioned but we'll see! this is just for now. just wanted to get that out right off the bat because i know people who aren't big fans of that concept.

With a heavy boom and a responding glare from Hal, the last of the moving boxes fall from David’s arms, who promptly wipes away the sweat from his forehead with the hem of his shirt.

“What?” He asks, giving the busted cardboard a nudge with his foot.

“Do you _mind_?” Mouthing, Hal points to the phone he has cradled against his shoulder and rolls his eyes. “Sorry about that, we’re still moving in. Yeah, that was Dave. No, I don’t think it was important. All the vital stuff was moved in yesterday… Those were just clothes.” Walking out from the foyer and into the kitchen, the conversation echoed through the empty house; “Yeah. Yeah. I know. Okay. I-- Oh, hold on. I’m getting another call. I’ll call you back. No, no, I have to go. We’ll talk later. Okay, yeah, later.” With a sigh, Hal perched on the edge of the counter and switched callers.

“Yes?” He asked, exhaustion heavy in his voice.

“Who was that?” Dave asked, sitting on his ankles and sorting through one of the boxes.

“Guess.”

“My favorite sister-in-law?” From the other side of the house he could sense his husband rolling his eyes. 

“You could be nicer about it, but yes. She was just checking in.”

“Mm.” 

“Did you really have to call?”

“You sounded like you needed rescuing.”

“Well thank _goodness_ my Prince Charming is here.”

“Prince Charming just found all your comic books. Should I take them upstairs?”

“My manga can go upstairs, yeah. But try to be quiet, Sunny should still be sleeping.”

“Roger. David Emmerich out.” Hanging up and picking up the box with an exaggerated huff, he started upstairs, floors creaking under his weight. 

Although the bedrooms haven’t been completely set up yet, Hal and Dave’s stuff have been moved into one room, Sunny’s crib pushed into a separate room just across the hall. A spare bedroom can be made into a guest room, an office on the first floor and extra belongings into the basement, including workout space for Dave and possibly a toy area for Sunny. As new parents, they were still a little unsure of what exactly children like to do, but they could figure it out - that’s how they’ve managed thus far. 

Slowly opening the door with his elbow, Dave peers his head in. Sunny is sprawled on her back, thumb in her mouth and onesie bunched around her thighs, rosy cheeks flushed in bliss. Hal had built a little device that cycled sounds that helped her sleep, currently playing the sound of running water in a creek under a bridge. Dave and Hal recorded the sound themselves, as well as everything else. The weirdest one, Dave had to admit, was a recording of him snoring, but _apparently_ Sunny enjoyed it. Personally, Dave thinks it was for Hal when the former would go on business trips and needed something grounding.

A bookshelf hadn’t been set up yet, so Dave set the box down in the corner, where another box of books and miscellaneous rested. Going into the bathroom, splashing his face off with cold water and drying off with his shirt, Dave snuck back downstairs to see Hal taking another phone call.

“Who now?” He whispers, removing his damp t-shirt off entirely, tossing it towards Hal, who swats it away with one hand.

“Jack.” With a nod, Dave moves towards the fridge, popping off the top of a beer bottle with the rough skin of his palm, making one final trip to the car to confirm that all of their belongings have been moved into the house.

“Did he want anything?” David asks upon returning, locking the front door and turning on the porch lights - in which they both discover need new bulbs.

“Wanted to know when he can visit.” 

“We’ve hardly even moved in,” the elder grumbles, flopping down on the couch and patting for Hal to sit with him. “Anything else?”

“No.” Cold glasses press against Dave’s shoulder, Hal closing his eyes and sighing. “You smell.”

“Hm.”

“We should wake Sunny up soon and get some dinner.”

“Yeah.”

"Yeah," Hal parrots.

“Yeah.” Allowing his eyes to flutter shut, David listens to Hal’s breathing steady, then the soft inhale of a snore. Sunny will be fine if they take a nap.

* * *

“Papa! Wake, wake!” Sunny’s damp hands on David’s bare chest startle him awake, jostling Hal in the process. 

“Sunny?” Hal asks, groggily adjusting his glasses from where they’ve left red indents on his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

“M’hungry!” She announces, promptly patting her stomach, then smacking Dave’s for good measure. 

“Did you walk down the stairs by yourself?” David asks, picking her up and stretching. With a nod, she beams and sticks her thumb in her mouth. 

“We need to be careful about that,” comes a whisper behind them. “She could fall and hurt herself.”

“But she’s such a strong and brave girl! Aren’t you? Aren’t you?” A quick kiss to Sunny’s forehead, Dave passes her off to his partner and goes to get a clean shirt. 

"Does pizza sound good? I think she can eat pizza. Do you want some pizza, Sunny?" Nodding, Sunny anxiously wiggles in Hal's arms, demanding to be let down, waddling over to David and patting the back of his knees. 

"Papa! Up!" Casting an apologetic look to Hal, David scoops her up.

"What a daddy's girl," he cooed, going to pull out his laptop and looking up local pizza places. 

"Oh, wait, Dave?" Pushing his glasses up, Hal looks from over the screen to see Dave with Sunny tugging lovingly on his beard. "What's our address again?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading ............ comments appreciated!! 
> 
> finding a title was so hard. christ.
> 
> also i'm never around young children so if she seems unrealistic for her age i'm sorry. thank youuuuuu!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tl;dr one of the reasons this hasn't been updated was because i didn't have a good grasp on kaz's character and then i decided it doesn't matter, it's an AU. kaz lives but he's not post phantom pain-era because i haven't played it yet. lol. don't think too much about it. 
> 
> that being said, thank you for being patient! here is chapter two!

“Dave?” Gently, Hal pats around the bed, finding one half of it empty but still vaguely warm. “David?” Sitting up and looking for his glasses, he tries to make out any sign of David’s whereabouts. The sun has just barely begun to raise, birds chirping merrily. Wrapping his blanket around his shoulders, he quietly pads down the hallway, peeking his head into Sunny’s room to see her crib barren of the sleeping toddler. With a little more alertness in his steps, he turns on the hallway light and starts downstairs, stopping when he sees Sunny drinking from a sippy cup, standing barefoot in the kitchen, wearing a pink dress.

“Sunny,” he begins, stepping closer as she looks up with bright, wide eyes. “Where’s papa?” Instead of answering, she points beyond the kitchen, towards the backyard. Patting the top of her head, Hal shuffles to the glass doors, expecting to see David, tucked around the corner with a cigarette in his mouth, but the backyard is just full of slightly-overgrown grass. Turning around, throwing his blanket across the kitchen table, Hal picks Sunny up and holds her to his hip. “Where’s papa?” He asks again, fixing her skirt. “Why are you up and dressed? It’s too early, honey.” 

“The dogs woke me up,” she pouts, to which Hal nods slowly.

“The dogs woke you up, huh?” He repeats, before his eyebrow twitches. “The dogs?” Nodding affirmatively, she replaces the bottle for her thumb, smelling of orange juice. “What dogs? Next door?” Shaking her head, she points a sticky finger just beyond Hal’s vision, and when he turns he involuntarily lets out a scream. Standing in the foyer is Miller, leaning against the stair’s railing with his sunglasses, arms crossed and the slightest hint of a smirk.

“Good morning to you too, Hal.”

“Oh my _God_ ,” setting Sunny down, he steadies himself with one hand on the island and the other on his beating heart. “Scared the daylights out of me.”

“I saw that. Sorry, didn’t think you’d be awake yet.”

“Hey Hal,” David says, passing between Miller and Sunny like they aren’t there and pressing a chaste kiss to the other’s cheek. “Did we wake you?”

“No,” he lies, “didn’t know your _uncle_ was visiting.”

“Ah, yeah, me neither.” With a sheepish smile, Dave shrugs and drapes five leashes over the back of a chair then runs his fingers through his hair.

“So,” he announces, “who’s hungry?”

* * *

Even though everyone knew how it was going to work out, Dave and Miller still argued between them on who was going to cook, Hal taking the time to shower and get dressed. Miller wasn’t necessarily a special guest, things were still being moved in and it was a _Saturday_ , but he still felt like he should at least be presentable. Coming back downstairs, the two war buddies were going through the fridge and pantry, collecting things for the feast, Sunny watching a video on Hal’s iPad. Turning on the coffee pot, he sat with her in his lap and watched a video about counting in fun colors with a song.

“Hey, Hal!” Calling from across the kitchen, Hal turns his head and looks to see Miller trying to push David away. “Do you have any chopsticks?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“I _told_ you.” David quips, producing a fork from a plastic bag of silverware, to which Miller snatches and informs that it's not the right utensil. 

"They're so noisy," Hal grumbles with an exhale, to which Sunny nods in agreement, playing with his discarded glasses. “Are you hungry?” Nodding again, Sunny tilts her head back, tufts of hair sticking out in a mess. “I’ll get you something.” Setting her on the cushion, she stretches out and rolls on her back with a content sigh.

“Do you want to help?” Miller asks, and Hal could not shake his head fast enough, which makes the blonde laugh.

“Miller wanted to make omurice,” David fills in, “but we don’t have all the ingredients, so he’s just making omelettes. I’m not allowed to help.”

“Because _you_ don’t know how to cook eggs properly and fuck it up.”

“ _Language_.” Under his breath Miller mumbles a swear, the couple otherwise ignoring him and making up a couple mugs of coffee.

* * *

“So, why’d you stop by, anyways?” Hal finally asks, cutting up pieces of egg to feed to Sunny before she grabs at it with her hands. 

“Brought the dogs over. I was gettin’ sick of them howling all the time.” 

“We took them for a run this morning but we woke Sunny.” 

“Yeah, I saw that. Where are the dogs now?”

“Loaded them back up in the truck. Dave wanted to mow before he let them run loose. They’re probably sleeping now.” 

“God, how long have you had that truck?” Finishing off his coffee, Miller ponders for a moment.

“At least 20 years.” 

“I remember Carrie used to talk about it like it was some sort of magical chariot pulled by white horses.” Setting his mug down, Miller adjusts his glasses and looks squarely at David with a pensive look on his aged face, then takes another sip, despite there being nothing left before speaking again. 

“Feels like I haven’t heard that name in years,” he states, flatly. “Goes by Charlotte now. Exclusively. Must’ve happened after Nadine passed.” David nods, slowly, and goes back to his food, Hal and Sunny respectfully doing the same. “No, no, don’t let that ruin the mood,” Miller points his work accusingly at Hal, first. “It’s been years and that truck _is_ a goddamn chariot.” 

“Speaking of which,” Hal shifts the conversation, “did you bring a mower? Our last one broke.” 

“In the truck. I can do it for you, free of charge for me showing up out of the blue.”

“With that bum leg?” David laughs, kicking playfully at Miller’s cane, the latter snatching it and smacking Dave in the shin. 

“Don’t underestimate me, David.” 

“I’ll do it,” pushing up his glasses, Hal finishes feeding Sunny, then collects their dishes.

“Are you sure?” Leaning back in his chair, David smirks when Hal rolls his eyes.

“Don’t underestimate me,” he quips, Miller quick to scoff in response. 

“You got a good man, Dave.” Clapping his hand on the brunette’s shoulder, Miller stands and feels his way around the house, cane tapping against the floor. 

“Should he be driving?” Hal whispers, running water to rinse the dishes off. 

“I’m blind, not deaf,” Miller calls from around the house, grabbing his keys for the truck and heading through the door, Dave shooting Hal a sheepish grin.

* * *

Seated comfortably on Miller’s lap in her dress and an oversized sun hat, Sunny watched Hal mow while David wrangled the dogs out of his way. 

“How do you like the new house?” Miller asks, taking Sunny’s hands in his rough palms and squeezing lightly. 

“It’s big,” and she stretches her arms out to emphasize. 

“Big? Honey, if you think this is big, you should see my farm.” 

“You have a farm?” Blue eyes wide and excited, her smile is teethy, wider when he nods.

“Don’t have any animals, though, just lots of land.” Smile fading a little, Miller immediately assures her he _could_ get animals, but there’s no one to help him.

“I can help!” 

“Can you? You’ve a strong little lady, aren’t you?” With a happy, pleased giggle, Sunny then promptly sneezes, Miller looking up to see the smoke from David’s cigarette wafting towards them. Shooting him a dirty look, David sighs and puts it out, dismissively waving them away to go check on Hal, having stopped the mower. 

“How’re you doing?” Wiping the sweat from his forehead, matted bangs and all, he sighs.

“This is tiring,” he admits, but straightens his back out. “I think I’m about done.” 

“Looks about right,” Dave agrees, patting Hal’s sweaty back and pressing a kiss to his temple. “I have to run some errands. Do you want to come with?”

“Are you taking Sunny?” 

“We can.”

“ _We_? Are you going with Miller?” 

“Yeah. He feels bad not being able to come to the wedding so he wants to get us a gift.” 

“He doesn’t have to do that - he watched the dogs for us. It wasn’t even really an _official_ wedding, anyways.”

“You know he’s stubborn. I think he wants to spoil Sunny a bit.” 

“Fine, fine. Take _our_ car, please. I don’t want her getting carsick or anything.” 

“I’ll call you if anything comes up. Do you need anything?”

“Not that I can think of.” He pauses, slips his glasses over his head and rubs his eyes with the back of his hand. “A nap.”

“Go inside and rest. We won’t be gone long.” Wiping Hal’s cheek with his thumb, David kisses him, and out of the corner of his eye he can see Sunny running over, Miller following suit. 

“Ready!” Lifting her arms to be picked up, David presses a kiss to her forehead and turns her towards Hal.

“Give daddy a kiss.” Even though Hal knew he didn’t smell the freshest, Sunny still slaps her hands on his cheeks and kisses his nose. 

“Does Uncle Ben get a kiss, too?” Scrunching up her nose and shaking her head, David stifles a laugh and waves goodbye to Hal, fishing his keys out of his pocket and towards the car, faster than Miller can start protesting.

“Don’t wait up!” Miller calls over his shoulder before slamming the fence door shut behind him, a brief moment of muffled conversation and the engine turning on and fading as they drive away. With a long, heavy exhale, Hal pushes the mower aside and opens the back door, five dogs barking excitedly as they run past him, the man slipping in the house before they can attempt to play with him, drinking slowly from a glass of water before trudging back upstairs.


	3. Chapter 3

“Next time can you let me know someone is coming over _before_ they show up?” Hal pleads when David waltzes into their bedroom, Jack in tow. Fresh from the shower with a towel tied sloppily at his waist, he clutches it to save any decency, though Jack insists it’s nothing he’d never seen before, despite the uncomfortable grimace Hal gives him. 

“He just showed up.”

“Sorry, Hal.”

“Mm-hmm. Can I get dressed now?”

“Jack!” Sunny calls from the doorway, investigating the noise and running up to Jack, who swoops her up and swings her in his arms. 

“ _Someone’s_ gotten big. What are you feeding her?”

“Dog food. Beefing her up to train with the pups. Working on a dogsled team.”

“Noooooo,” she whines, a giggle underlying her words, Jack playfully snarling at her. Behind them, Hal closes the door back to the master bathroom, David quietly slipping in and locking the door behind him.

“Hey,” he says with a smile, leaning against the door for extra caution. Not that Jack was the type to break that boundary, but Sunny might. “This is the last abrupt visitor, I promise. Unless E.E. is coming by soon.”

“She has the decency to _call_ first, and she’s too busy with school right now. Still kinda pissed we missed her graduation,” Hal grumbles, pulling on a pair of jeans he knows he’ll regret later, but it was the first thing he grabbed. “You don’t have any relatives that will show up out of the blue?”

“We aren’t related,” Dave clarifies, Hal rolling his eyes and slips his arms through his shirt.

“Yeah, well, they act like you are.” Before Hal can hide it, Dave reaches forward and pokes Hal’s stomach, then pulls him forward and presses his nose to the damp hair. 

“On the brightside, Jack’s here.”

“That’s good?”

“He can take Sunny out.”

“I just showered.”

“That’s not what I mean,” David laughs, “but that’s flattering.”

“I already had plans today, anyway.”

“But now you’ll be uninterrupted.”

“That’ll be a first.” 

“Hmm.” Kissing his jaw, Dave unlocks the door to see Jack and Sunny had departed, laughing about something downstairs. Eventually following suit, Hal walks in to see the three of them eating from styrofoam boxes - Jack’s breakfast treat to make up for his abrupt arrival. In the corner of the room lay a couple bags that tell Hal this was going to be longer than stopping by to say hi, but lets himself share soggy pancakes and coffee. 

“When did you guys get the dogs back?” Jack asks, wiping syrup from Sunny’s chin, despite being equally as messy of an eater. 

“Miller brought them by the other day.” 

“Miller was here?”

“Just missed ‘im.”

“What a shame.”

“He’s scary.” 

“Jack’s scarier.”

“Yeah, well, so are you, Dave!”

“That’s _papa_ around here, kid.” 

“Oh,” Hal interrupts their back and forth playful bickering, getting up and grabbing his phone from where it’d been charging, making a hand motion that he has to take this before taking the stairs two and a time and closing the bedroom door behind him. 

“Hey, Sunny?” David asks, gathering up their silverware and plates. “Why don’t you go get your books for Jack?” Nodding, Jack helps her down from her seat and watches her hobble towards the living space, Dave then pulling Jack’s chair closer. “How long are you planning on staying?”

“How long am I allowed to?” He asks quietly. “I know it’s not the ideal time but I figured you could use someone to take her off your hands, you know.”

“Is that it?”

“C’mon, Dave,” Jack chuckles awkwardly, “you know the answer. Kick me out when you need me to.”

“And you know I won’t do that. You wouldn’t come all the way out here unless you really needed somewhere to stay. What’s going on?”

“Rent.” David nods, knowing that was only partially the problem, and ruffles Jack’s hair. “We can make arrangements. Do you need money?” Before Jack can answer, Hal walks back into the kitchen, one arm full of books and toys, the other full of his daughter, a little upset she couldn’t carry everything and Hal had to help.

“We got something,” is all he says, passing everything to Jack and showing David an email on his phone, who scans over it quickly and then follows Hal into another room to further discuss. Turning his attention to Sunny, who has seated herself on the floor beside his chair and started flipping through books, Jack scoops her up and carries her to the sofa, laying out her belongings and organizing them into piles, per her demands.

Eventually, the couple return to the kitchen, finish cleaning up from breakfast and don’t bother Jack, occupied with reading aloud with Sunny, making up stories as they go along. 

“Hey,” waiting for a pause in their conversation, Hal brushes back a strand of hair from Sunny’s face before letting his hand fall on Jack’s shoulder, giving a light squeeze. “We’re going out. Make yourself at home, call if you need anything.” With a smile, Jack nods, looking beyond him to Dave, setting out cash on the counter before taking his keys and heading out.

* * *

They return after a couple hours, Jack’s car gone from the driveway and Sunny missing along with him. The money is replaced with a note that simply reads “be back later.” David, out of habit, paroled the house while Hal noticed everything had been cleaned and put away, including Jack’s belongings, tossed up in the spare bedroom upstairs, though vacant of an actual bed. An old sleeping bag wound together with rope lays amongst his inventory, Hal wishing they could at _least_ offer him a futon, though Dave insists Jack is grateful enough for a roof over his head. 

“I know,” Hal exhales, turning off the light and closing the door on the barren room Jack was going to occupy. “He never asks for much but this was a pretty long drive for him, especially if he were evicted.” 

“Beats the backseat of his car.”

“He has a girlfriend, doesn’t he?” The dubious expression answers Hal’s question, going to make his way to their office when Dave grabs his elbow, stopping him, and whirls him around into an embrace, breathing in against his neck. 

“David,” he warns. “We have a lot of work to do.”

“I know,” comes the mumbled words. “Just for a minute.” 

“Just for a minute.” Their minute follows them to their bedroom, door locked, stripped and in each other’s arms, breathing against one another while the air conditioner hums. 

“I think it’s been more than a minute,” Hal laughs, pulling David on top of him. 

“Mm,” pressing soft kisses along Hal’s neck, he mouths something Hal doesn’t hear nor bother asking to repeat, exhaling blissfully instead. Nudging with his nose, Dave catches him with a kiss, hands exploring and caressing before abruptly interrupted by a phone call. Despite their intimacy, a call was something that should never willingly be ignored, though neither of them were particularly excited to see Jack’s name appear. Answering, David was immediately filled in with background noise of other people talking and some generic music in the distance.

“Hey, Dave?” Jack starts, then shuffles around a bit before continuing, “Is Sunny allergic to anything?”

“No,” Hal answers, “but vegetarian baby food upsets her stomach.”

“So is she okay if we get ice cream?”

“Yes.”

“With nuts?”

“Yes.” 

“And she’s not allergic to bananas?”

“Jack—”

“A banana split?” David laughs. “Really?”

“We’re _sharing_ it. Wanted to make sure she could eat it. Unless you don’t want her to, then I’ll have it.” In the background Sunny lets out a whine, quiet but enough to know she wasn’t happy with that idea. 

“She’ll be fine. Bring us back one, too.” 

“No promises,” and he hangs up, David letting the phone fall to the floor and cuddles up to Hal, feeling indifferent to a banana split but content enough knowing he has more time to lay in bed, wrapped around Dave and knowing Sunny is safe with Jack, allowing himself the chance to relax. 

“Being a parent is hard,” Hal announces, making Dave laugh but agree completely. Though they were not her biological parents, Sunny very quickly became just as much of their own making, despite the flesh and blood difference. Most of David’s family was built that way; by relations strong enough they may as well be kin, specifics forgotten after the years. Hal was the only one lucky enough to have a legal bond, though their marriage was also officiated by a family friend. The fact he was able to call David his husband and Sunny their daughter made up for the vague way Miller was his uncle and Jack his nephew.

“But I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Dave coos, nipping playfully at Hal’s ear, effectively tickling him and rolling away before facing the repercussions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi good luck to all my fellow students starting school. stay safe stay healthy


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> took me the entire semester before i updated this again, lol. hi, thanks for sticking around! hope everyone's semester went well and you survived. 
> 
> without further ado, aunt emma.

“Do you remember, Hal, last week?” Blocking the doorway while Hal brushes his teeth, he looks at Dave through the mirror’s reflection. “Last week when Jack came by.”

“He never left,” he reminds Dave.

“But when he first got here, you had asked me something.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know what I’m getting at?” Spitting and rinsing his mouth out, Hal turns the water off and leans against the sink.

“She _did_ call.” 

“ _I_ was not in the know,” David retorts, raising his eyebrows. 

“It’s a surprise. For Sunny.”

“Uh-huh.” Stepping aside, Hal leaves the bathroom to finish getting dressed, rounding the corner to see Jack walking back from the bathroom to his bedroom, towel lazily wrapped around his waist. Hal holds his tongue on telling Jack to look decent for a guest and goes downstairs, starting a pot of coffee. A few minutes later Dave makes his way down, taking the cup that was prepared for him and sits across from Hal at the table, who was checking his email on his phone.

“What time do you need to pick her up?” Glancing at the clock they’ve yet to hang up, Hal calculates how far the train station is.

“I’ll leave soon. Did you want to come with?”

“Sure.” Kissing the top of Hal’s head, Dave goes to check on Sunny, sitting within a nest of snoring dogs. "Daddy and I are going to run an errand. Do you need anything?" She shakes her head and grins, Dave ruffling her hair and pats one of the dogs, telling him to watch over Sunny while he's gone. 

* * *

“Hal!” Emma calls, waving her step-brother down. Dave groans under his breath at the amount of luggage that sits beside her, moving to help her load the truck. She hugs Hal, then offers David a sort of awkward nod, who is thankful he doesn’t have to force any unnecessary forms of polite affection. 

“How was the trip?”

“ _Long_ ," she sighs. "Might take a plane back.”

“Well, it's good to see you. Thanks for coming out to visit.” 

“Has your hair gotten longer?” David asks, rolling her luggage as they exit the platform. “I don’t think I’ve seen it up.”

“I guess. It’s just easier to maintain if I keep it like this,” she says, subconsciously touching up the bun. "I see you've cut yours." Grunting in response, Dave tries to push away the memory of having longer hair, cut for professionalism's sake. He was at least thankful she didn't comment on the grey streaks that had started popping up in his beard. 

"Are you hungry?" Hal asks, sliding her suitcases into the truck bed. 

"Not particularly, I think I'll be fine for now."

"Sounds good." The three of them climb into the seat, Dave rolling down his window and producing his pack of cigarettes.

" _David_ ," comes Hal's stern voice, looking over to see both Hal and Emma staring at him, disapprovingly. With a grumble and an exhale, he slips it back into his jacket pocket and turns the ignition, listening to the train whistle blow as it leaves the station. 

* * *

Pulling back into the driveway, Dave notices Jack's car is gone. Making his routinely check that nothing's been broken into, Hal helps his step-sister carry things in, though it's disrupted when Sunny comes running down the stairs to see her aunt.

"Hello!" E.E. chirps, picking Sunny up and poking her nose. "How have you been?"

"Good!" She beams, wiggling out of her hold and then at her dad's pant leg, tugging to be picked up. Emma playfully scoffs with an underlying hint of annoyance. 

"What are you feeding her?" Emma asks, thumbing Sunny's round cheek. "She's bigger than I remember."

“Dog food,” David replies without missing a beat, rounding the corner.

“Funny,” she says, monotone. Looking over at Hal, she waits expectantly for a real answer.

“Dog food,” he repeats, nodding firmly once.

“The _finest_ kibbles.”

“Okay,” Emma sighs, turning back to Sunny. “She’s got real pretty eyes.”

“Like mom!” Sunny beams, smile pushing her chubby cheeks out, making Emma smile in turn. Though she was young, Hal and David decided it was best to let Sunny know she was not their biological daughter instead of growing up believing a lie. The family Dave's made through the years helped Sunny understand not all family has the be related or similar in many ways, so long as they cared for each other. Hal and Dave didn't have much biological family they stayed in touch with, anyways, except for E.E., though she and Hal were no longer legally related. 

Holding up a finger, Emma goes back to the truck and brings in a bag, setting it down and opening it. Producing a slightly damaged wrapped box, she holds it out to Sunny, who all but leaps out of Hal's arms and grabs at it, ripping it open and showing her gifts to her dads. A collection of second-hand and new books, toys and clothes, Emma having been unsure of what they already owned. 

"One of my friends gave me some hand-me-downs for Sunny," she explains, watching Sunny sort through the items and start pulling off her shirt to try on a new one. "Feel free to donate whatever she doesn't want." 

"Thanks, E.E.," Hal says with a small smile, pushing his glasses up while Dave helps Sunny redress. After modeling her new clothes, the four of them relocate to the kitchen, Dave boiling a pot of water to make tea, Emma apparently not as big of a coffee drinker as he and his husband were.

“So," David starts, sitting with his arm across the back of his chair, "what brings you out here?”

“Midterm break, I have the week off.”

“Seems kinda early this year,” Hal notes; Emma shrugs. 

“Trying to get as far away from my roommate as possible. I don’t mind her, but I’d rather not spend a week cooped up with her if I don't have to. I’m not a big fan of mom’s new husband, either.” Hal’s face drops with an odd mix of discomfort and concern.

“She remarried?” He asks, voice hard and even. Emma doesn’t notice, Dave watching out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Hal shakes his head, jaw muscles pulsing when he clenches his teeth. David puts his hand on his balled fist. “It was pretty sudden, happened shortly after I moved out. He’s pretty young, too - probably why she did it without telling anyone.” Dave clears his throat, getting up and scraping his chair on the floor as noisily as possible.

“Do you want anything with your tea?"

"What do you have?" Emma was smart enough to know David was trying to change the subject, though she was oblivious enough to not understand why. Following Dave to the pantry, she starts picking through their odds and ends of snack choices while Dave sneaks away and rubs Hal's shoulder with one hand. Hal brings his hand up and rubs his thumb over Dave's ring, reminding him where he is now and not all those years ago and sniffles quietly. Without exchanging any words, they break, Hal checking on Sunny while Dave supervises Emma, mumbling to herself about their eating habits. 

“By the way," the student begins, motioning with her head towards the heap of bags she brought in, "is there somewhere I can put this stuff? So it’s not in the middle of the foyer.”

“Uh…” Hal starts, biting the inside of his cheek.

“We have a guest room, though it’s occupied."

“Oh?” 

“You’ve met my nephew, haven’t you?” Frowning, E.E. doesn’t hide her feelings on Jack, which both Dave and Hal understand. 

“He’s here?”

“He’s currently running an errand, but yes, he’s staying with us.”

“For the time being,” Hal adds, not very convincingly.

“I thought he lived out of state?”

“Consider it the same reason you’re here. Sometimes you need to get away.”

“... I see,” she concludes after a pause. “I was pretty sure Hal said there was a room for me to stay at.”

“There is,” he starts to explain. “In the basement. But it’s completely finished with a full bath - it’s real nice.” Letting out a small huff of air, Emma accepts her defeat and asks someone to help her move her things, though she’s not very pleased by the set up.

“A _couch_?” 

“I’m sure it beats dorm beds.”

“Not by much,” she says, squeezing the cushions. 

“We could… kick Jack out and put him down here so you’d get his room, but he’s not any better than this.”

“Why’s that?”

“He’s just got a futon. No frame, either.”

“It’s just on the _floor_?” She gasps.

“Better than nothing,” Dave shrugs.

“E.E.,” Hal starts, trying to reason with her, “this is the best we can do. It was a hard move. If you really want, we could get you a hotel for a few days.”

“No, this is… fine,” she finishes, knowing that a hotel would be asking for too much, especially not having a car and making Hal drive her back and forth. “Thanks, though.” 

“Anything else you need?”

“Not right now.” Heading back up the stairs, she starts talking to Sunny, Dave and Hal sharing an exhausted look.

“Woah!” Comes a sudden yell, then a small scuffle in the kitchen. The door to the basement then swings open, Jack taking a few steps down. “Emma’s here?!”

“Oops. Did we forget to tell you?” David smirks, heading towards the stairs and laughing at Jack’s pale expression. “C’mon, go put a shirt on. You’re giving a bad example for Sunny.” Grumbling something in response, Jack sneaks into the laundry room to throw on a shirt, awkwardly returning to the family room to give a proper hello to Emma.

"Didn't you just come back from the store?" Hal asks, once he's joined the group again. Jack nods. "And you just walked in, shirtless?"

"I didn't expect anyone else to be here."

"Even if Emma wasn't here, you shouldn't just do that," Dave scolds. 

"You do it all the time," Jack grumbles, coincidentally wearing one of Dave's shirts, as it was the first he grabbed from the laundry room. 

"Papa can do that," the elder clarifies.

"How long is Emma staying here?"

"I'm right here," she says, sitting on the opposite end of the sectional as Jack. "I've got the week off for break, but I might have to go back early because I'm worried about my parrot." 

"You won't be staying the whole week? What a shame." Elbowing Dave, Hal clears his throat. 

"Well, if it's alright with you two," he begins, motioning towards Jack and Emma, "Dave and I need to go out of state for work. Having the both of you here would be helpful if you could watch Sunny for a bit."

"How long is a bit?" E.E. asks, side-eyeing Jack. 

"No more than three days." 

" _Three days_?" With an over dramatic gasp, Jack grimaces in response to Emma's outburst. 

"That won't be an issue, will it?" Sitting up straight, Dave looks between Jack and Emma, giving his strictest glare of finality that a vet can muster. 

"No," mumbles Jack, crossing his arms. Emma shakes her head, casting her gaze away. 

"Great," Dave says, shifting his tone to something lighter, accompanied by a clap of his hands. "The sooner we can leave, the sooner we should be done." 

"And Jack has a car, if you ever need to get out," Hal adds, must to Jack's disappointment.

"Well," Emma starts, "I'm pretty tired from the train out here. I'm going to take a nap and then I can make dinner." Standing and stretching her arms, she waits for a moment, as if waiting for someone to say anything. When no one does, she takes her leave, closing the basement door behind her.

"First off," Jack turns in his seat towards Dave and Hal, though his eyes are locked with Dave's, feeling more confident in arguing with him than Hal. "You didn't tell me Emma was coming."

"I know."

"Secondly, you didn't tell me you were leaving on a business trip."

"I know." 

"Third—"

"Jack," putting his hand up, Jack stops. "You're an adult. We shouldn't have to talk you into babysitting. You're staying under our roof, you can watch Sunny while we're gone for a couple days. That's part of the deal."

"I know, but I wasn't expecting _Emma_ —" 

"I wasn't in the know about that, either," David adds, looking over at Hal, who adverts his gaze. 

"I just figured it would be best to line everything up like this. No offense, Jack, but I don't think you have the paternal skills of watching Sunny by yourself for a few days." 

Jack opens his mouth but is quickly shot down when David notes that Jack barely takes care of himself as is, accepting his defeat. 

"You two can talk it out amongst yourselves, but we would really appreciate if you could do this for us."

"If you want to live here, you have to work with us. Consider this part of Philanthropy." 

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbles, turning his attention towards Sunny, who had been sleeping at Emma's side, now waking herself up. 

"And if Sunny misses us, she can call. You're only allowed to call in emergencies." Patting Jack's knee, Dave stands and scoops Sunny up, brushing her wispy hair down from where it stuck out. 

"Do you need a list or anything?" Hal asks, knowing he'd have to write one out for his sister.

"No," the blonde huffs, "but bring me back a souvenir."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> death / implied suicide / implied cancer diagnosis, if that'll bother anyone. also timeskip of a few months.

Hal’s in their office, tying away at something when David approaches, knocking on the door to announce his presence.

“Yeah?” He calls over his shoulder, obviously in the middle of a thought.

“I just wanted to let you know Miller’s coming over.”

“Any particular reason?”

“Didn’t say, but it won’t be until the afternoon.” 

“Mm. Hey, would you mind proofreading this?” Rolling his chair away and getting up to change spots, Hal takes a sip from the mug of coffee David was holding and thanks him before leaving the room, rubbing his straining eyes. 

* * *

The familiar, loud rumble of Miller’s truck pulling into their driveway cues the family of his arrival. Sunny, in the middle of her bath, tries to clamor out to greet her uncle before Hal has to keep her still, David opening the door with wet hands from washing dishes after dinner. A very quick exchange of silent words is followed by the front door closing, the two of them having walked outside. 

It feels like ages before they come back in, arms loaded with boxes with scribbled labels and too much tape. They both wear sullen expressions, though Miller’s lightens when he sees Sunny, dressed in fresh clothes and wearing a grin.

“Pardon the intrusion.”

“No, not at all. What’s with the boxes?” David clears his throat, cueing Hal to not ask about it, and insteads offers to help carry things in. Once his hands are free, Miller swoops Sunny up, kissing her on the cheek. 

“You’ve gotten bigger since the last time I saw you!” 

“Uh-huh!”

“It’s been, man… at least three months?” Hal asks, looking at David. 

“That sounds right.”

“Soon you’ll be about my size,” Miller laughs, setting Sunny down with the slightest grimace as he straightens back up. No one comments on how his fair hair is almost completely gray or how pale he looks. For a moment, Hal worries Sunny might say something, but she seems too humored by the idea she’s growing fast enough to catch up to her family members. 

“Have I shown you the shed we’re building?” David asks, nodding his head towards the backyard. He passes over the cane he’d had looped in his elbow, though Miller dismisses it and makes his way towards the back door, holding on to every surface along the way out.

“Is everything alright?” Hal whispers. David, with a sad smile, mouths back _no_ before leaving, Hal stopping Sunny from following before attempting to distract her elsewhere, preferably somewhere without windows.

“You’re a smart man, David,” Miller says, sitting himself on one of the patio chairs. “I’m sure you can put two and two together.”

“... How much longer do you have?”

“Not long. It’s a miracle I made it this far. I’ll be seeing some old friends soon.” 

“Say hi to my parents for me.” 

With a laugh, Miller looks over, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Since when did you care about your old man?”

“Since I became a father and realized how hard it is. I want to give Sunny the childhood I never had so she doesn’t wind up like me.”

“You’re a good man, David. Better than he and I ever were. I might have to kick his ass first - if you can kick ass in Hell.”

“Come on, Miller, don’t say things like that.”

“We aren’t angels, kid. You’ve seen the battlefield. You know how it is.”

“You can’t say hi to mom down there.”

“Oh, Davey, she wasn’t a saint, either.” Looking over, David sighs.

“You could at least play along a little. Don’t make this sad.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he says, sounding genuinely apologetic. Staring out at nothing, they sit quietly, watching the breeze knock the remains of leaves from the trees. “When Sunny gets older, make sure you tell her she had the coolest uncle who could kick her dad’s ass.”

“It’s not good to lie to children, you know,” David adds with a smirk.

“Is that so? Don’t think I’m weak just because my doctors tell me I am. They can’t put this fire out even if they tried.” Standing up, David instinctively holds his hand out to help, Miller quickly grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him up, pushing him towards the grass. “An old-fashioned fist fight, one last time.” 

“I’d feel bad beating up a handicapped man.”

“Never stopped you in training.” With a toothy smirk, Miller gets ready to charge, David letting him take the first move and getting pinned. It’s when a knee strikes his stomach and knocks the wind out of him that he gets serious, pushing his weight up and over, turning it more into a tussle in the grass than an actual CQC fight.

With Miller pinned down once more, David steadies one hand on his shoulder and reels the other back before hesitating and grimacing. 

“What?” Miller asks, showing no resistance. His eyes are weary, exhausted and sick but show the same fight he’s always had. “Don’t stop now.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Bullshit. Fight me like a man, damn it! I don’t want to be pitied for being old and dying ‘til my last breath.” Letting his hands fall to his side, David heaves out an exhale. “You aren’t going to kill me, David. Let an old dog have one last good fight, will ya?” With a curt nod, Dave balls his fist and begins to pull his arm back.

“Woah woah woah, you’re just going to punch a guy when he’s down?” Blinking, he looks down at Miller, who promptly knees David in the groin, knocking him forward and flipping him over, pinning him down. 

“Just like old days, huh? Bet you didn’t think I still had it in me.”

“I still know that knee of yours can’t handle stress for this long, no matter how strong you try to look.”

“Then show me how weak I am, soldier. Show me what you’ve learned.” Despite his age or health, Miller always had that barking, commanding tone he used so proudly, and this time David was able to silence it with a quick jab to his throat and a fist to his nose, knocking him off balance and into the grass, coughing hoarsely and hacking up blood between wheezes.

David, on his feet, strides indoors, grabs a couple beers and smiles carefully at Hal’s understanding but nevertheless horrified expression and rejoins Miller. 

“Asshole,” Miller groans, wiping the blood from his nose, wearing a wickedly pleased smirk on his lips.

“Here,” David offers, passing over a beer and laying in the grass, gazing at the warm hue of the setting sun. They drink in silence, perhaps too quickly, a long silence passing before David speaks again.

“It’s getting cold,” he says, voice cracking. Miller keeps his eyes closed but can feel the hot tears he knows are on David’s cheeks. “We shouldn’t stay out too long. Don’t want to get sick.” 

“You know what was always fun? Getting shitfaced after a fight to balance out the adrenaline. Maybe we should go to a bar and pick up chicks.” Laughing, David sniffles and wipes his nose with the back of his hand.

“Horny old bastard to the end, huh?”

“C’mon, David,” Miller says, voice uncharacteristically soft. “Don’t make this sad.” 

Looking over, Miller is facing towards the sky, eyes closed with a nose smeared with dried blood and fresh tears on his scruffy collarbones.

“Going to a bar like that might scare anyone away, but I’m sure I have something here to suit your taste.” 

Back inside, David rummages around for an old bottle of whiskey, two shot glasses, a couple bottles of water and a damp handkerchief for Miller’s nose. Pouring two shots, they pour them out on the grass and refill them, downing them swiftly. 

The sky is replaced with a dark indigo, dotted with stars and Hal has to practically beg them to come inside and out of the cold. Sunny was asleep and Miller didn’t want her to see him like this, sitting at the kitchen table and finishing off the bottle in silence. 

“Come on,” Hal coaxes, a hand on Miller’s shoulder. “Let’s get you to bed. You can stay here tonight.” Shaking his head, the loose hair from his ponytail whisk around his face.

“Take me back home,” he says, blinking blearily. “Please.”

“That’s a long drive,” David reminds him, Hal shaking his head.

“No, I will. It’s no problem.” Miller lived no less than six hours away and Hal knew this would be a feat, but something in him knew he had to do this. “Jack should be coming tomorrow. If I call him he’ll probably get here sooner. We’ll take our car. Just please don’t get sick in it.” 

Getting his cane, David helps Miller into their car, the two of them climbing in the back seat, Hal checking on Sunny and making a quick call, locking up the house after grabbing water, medicine and a couple plastic shopping bags just in case.

The interstate was relatively isolated, Miller and David sleeping for most of the ride. Hal alternated radio stations to pass time better, though they all got hungry and stopped for food about halfway. 

It was when they pulled up to the quiet neighborhood Miller lived in that he realized they left his truck at their home.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Miller insisted. “It’s yours now.” The three of them walk up to Miller’s door, who fumbles a little with the key and pauses before entering. Leaning his cane against the door, he pulls David in for a hug, whispering something to David who nods and mumbles something back. Hal’s hug was a little less coordinated, Miller telling him to take care of his family, thanks for the ride and, with what Hal thinks was the most genuine he’d ever seen Miller, a very earnest _I love you, see you later_ before hobbling into his home and closing the door behind them. 

Standing awkwardly on his doorstep, they hear the lock click and trudge back down the driveway to their car, sitting in silence.

 _That wasn’t a goodbye_ , Hal thinks. _They’d see him again. He didn’t know when - Miller was mysterious in some ways - but that wouldn’t be the last time_. Starting the car, David suggests they get a hotel for the night and not risk driving back when they were both obviously exhausted, finding the nearest vacancy and disregarding the cleanliness for a decent few hours of rest.

* * *

A couple days later David got the call from a friend of Miller’s. No funeral was to be held; Miller simply wanted a brief burial at the old cabin where his death occurred, everything having been already established as such. David asked no questions and thanked the man for letting him know before hanging up. Hal held him tight and though David shed no tears, Hal knew this was not going to be easy. They hadn’t talked about how to talk to Sunny about this but Jack was willing to watch over things while David was in his slump. 

The boxes of belongings Miller brought went untouched for some time, David meticulously taking everything out and putting it all away like it was just another moving box to be sorted. One evening Hal, David and Jack sat in the backyard and shared a bottle of warm sake in silence as an ode to Miller, which finally seemed to lift the weight off of David, though he still moved like he bore the weight of Miller’s entire being on his shoulders.

One morning the doorbell rang - something that was almost unfamiliar in this household. Most of their guests simply walked right in. Hal was the one to answer, peering through the peephole to see a woman looking almost confused on their doorstep, checking the house address thoroughly.

“Hello?” Hal asks, opening the door hesitantly. She looks at him and squints her eyes in thought, studying his features. 

“You must be Hal,” she concludes. “Is Davey-- _David_ here?” She corrects herself, a smile on her lips. 

“Oh, you must be Catherine. Come in, he’s on a phone call right now.” 

“Are you sure? I can always come back.”

“I’m sure you must’ve had a long drive. Can I get you anything to drink?” Opening the door wider, she steps in, sliding off her shoes by the front door and follows Hal to the kitchen, who starts making a fresh pot of coffee, chatting idly.

“Hey, Hal, who was at the door?” Rounding the corner, David freezes in his steps, Catherine standing from her chair and inhaling. Before another word is spoken, David strides into the kitchen, pulling her into a hug that makes her laugh breathlessly. When they part her eyelashes are wet, wiping at them with her knuckle. 

“I haven’t seen you since mom died,” she says with a sniffle. “Sucks that this is how we meet again.” 

“It’s still good to see you. How long has it been?”

“Ten years? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten, old man.”

“I see you’ve still got that juvenile sense of humor. Are you hungry?”

“No, thank you. I shouldn’t stay long. I just had some things to finalize with you.”

Pulling up a chair, David nods, recognizing this was more business than a reunion, though he can’t stop thinking about seeing her again for the first time in so long. Protruding an envelope from her purse, she carefully unfolds and lays out some documents, David reading them over with a pensive expression.

“I’m guessing he didn’t go over the will with you, then,” she says, judging from his reaction. “That sounds like him.” 

“I’ll have to think this over,” David says carefully, Catherine nodding. Casting his gaze elsewhere, he takes hold of her hand, examining it.

“It’s just a promise ring,” she clarifies with a smile. “You know how dad was - education came first, and I’m working on a master’s degree. Plus,” she adds coyly, “you already promised you’d marry me when you got back from the service. I was still waiting on that phone call,” with a dreamy sigh, she notices David looking more at Hal than at her. “I was _nine_ and he was way out of my league, even then.”

“Also almost twice your age.” 

“And already married,” Hal adds, though he means no harm.

“When dad wrote to me, he talked about you two and how he hoped I would have a daughter like Sunny.”

“Oh,” Hal perks up. “She’s napping right now. I would wake her up but she’d be kind of cranky.”

“Don’t worry about it. Dad’s talked about her so much I feel like I’ve already met her.”

“Was there anything else you needed?” 

“I think… I think dad gave you our photo albums. I don’t need them, but I’d like to look at them one more time, if you don’t mind. We never talked about mom and I want to see her again.” 

“Of course. They’re upstairs.” Leading the way, the three of them sit on the floor of the bedroom, flipping through pages and commenting on pictures.

“You look more like your mom the older you get,” David notes, a sad smile on Catherine’s lips. 

“Would it be okay if I kept this one?” Pointing to a photo of her late parents holding her swaddled in an old blanket, David nods and slips it out, gingerly handing it over. 

“Take this one, too.” Handing over a polaroid dated the mid-90s, it’s a photo Nadine had taken of the three of them, fishing off the dock from their old cabin. Written at the bottom in neat cursive is _Ben + Davey teaching Carrie to fish_. Looking over it, she sniffles and tucks it into her envelope then back in her purse.

“I think I should get going.” On their way back down she peeks into Sunny’s room, sprawled in the crib she outgrew but still liked to sleep in. 

“Thank you for the pictures. If you ever make a decision, I wrote my number down and we can work something out.” Pulling David in for another hug, she kisses his cheek and then does the same for Hal, similar to the last time they saw her father. 

“Be sure to send us an invitation to your graduation and wedding.” 

“So long as you don’t object to my marriage,” she teases, getting her belongings and giving one final, nostalgic and sad smile before departing in her rental car. 

“Miller gave us his farm,” David says, still staring out the open door. Turning to Hal, his expression is blank. “I want us to take it.”

“We can’t,” with a soft tone, Hal takes David’s hands in his. “We put down a loan and relocating would be… reckless.”

“I know. It can… be a vacation home.” There’s an edge of stubbornness to David’s voice, similar to a child about to throw a tantrum when not getting their way. 

“Okay.” Kissing the back of David’s hands, they close the door and sit back at the kitchen table, David studying the will like his life depended on it. 

“Did you really promise to marry her?” Hal jokes, trying to lighten the mood. 

“Yeah. I mean, I was in my mid 20’s and she was just a little girl, but with a sick mom and a dad like Miller, she lived a very isolated life. I could humor her a little.” 

“Poor thing, to lose both parents so young.” Though David wasn’t much older when he lost his parents, he didn’t know them as well as Catherine knew hers, and nods in agreement. 

“It was good to see her again.” After a pause, he adds, “we should’ve offered her that truck.”

“I don’t think it’d fit her style.”

“Maybe not, but I think she would’ve gotten a kick out of knowing it was still running.”

“Barely,” Hal adds, rinsing out their mugs. "If you want to go see his farm, you can. Take a break from Philanthropy. Jack can help for some time."

"Maybe. I want to go to the cabin but I don't think he'd want me to."

"Well, if you want to, I'll go with." Kissing David's forehead, he pulls him in for a hug, and after a while David begins to let his guard down, sharing some of his weight with his husband for the first time since they'd dropped Miller off. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading, sorry it was a little sad. again, though i've only 'known' kaz through mg2/mgs1 (even then it wasn't _really_ kaz), i feel like he'd be the kind who'd rather go out on his own terms that have his loved ones see him deteriorate, much like snake in mgs4. maybe it was still a little out of character, but eh.
> 
> carrie/catherine is the name of mcdonnel benedict miller's daughter in the mg2 guidebook and is kind of unofficial, but [here's](https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Catherine) the wikia on her if anyone is interested! i also could've sworn miller's wife had a canon name but i can't find any source on it. 
> 
> also, i guess, if anyone is wondering: i write everyone's age in accordance to 2010, so david is 38, hal is 30, sunny is 3, carrie is 21 (she doesn't have a canon birth year so i estimated in accordance to her being young during mg2), kaz is 64, jack is 27, and emma is 19.
> 
> anywho, thanks again, and i hope everyone's taking care in this weather


End file.
